PM Han Sung-sook urges faster regulatory reform, stressing national growth
Prime Minister Han Sung-sook emphasized on the 12th at a meeting with business leaders from the Chungcheong region held in Daejeon that "regulations must be overhauled and loosened more quickly." The meeting took place at the Daejeon Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seo-gu, Daejeon, to discuss ways to rationalize regulations with businesspeople from the Chungcheong region. Attendees included Jung Tae-hee, chairman of the Daejeon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong, Kim Tae-yoo, vice chairman of the Regulatory Reform Committee, officials from relevant ministries, and local business leaders.
Prime Minister Han noted that the axes of growth concentrated in the metropolitan area need to shift to the regions, so that regional innovation can translate into growth for the nation as a whole, and assessed that the Chungcheong region lies at the center of this effort. She also introduced that the government is pushing to enact the Mega Special Zone Act to foster regional high-tech industries and promote locally led growth. "Through comprehensive support in fiscal, financial, and tax matters, the government is truly committed to how businesses can invest and how jobs can be created in the regions," she stressed.
Jung Tae-hee, chairman of the Daejeon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "While high-tech reform is welcome, attention must also be paid to parts, materials, and equipment companies and other foundational businesses for the high-tech industry to advance to the next level." Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong pointed out the limits of sector restrictions in the Daejeon Industrial Complex, saying, "Rice cakes are allowed, but bread is not," and asked for eased regulations in the Daedeok Special Zone.
As a result of the discussions, Daejeon Metropolitan City agreed to allow bakery manufacturing companies into the Daejeon Industrial Complex after devising measures to minimize their environmental impact. The city also plans to prepare a comprehensive plan next year to improve restrictions on eligible business sectors. At the meeting, the government decided to improve entry criteria for leased artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and add solar power generation to the permitted business sectors in the core districts of the International Science and Business Belt. It also agreed to pursue regulatory improvements allowing autonomous robots to use elevators and measures to expand the recycling of byproducts from secondary battery manufacturing.
